CUBICLE cabling standards \ requirements

[Snowmonkey]

Im looking for cabling standards for office work pods, cubicles, modular workstations. The furniture manufacturers have their own standards but is there anything by BICSI, EIA/TIA concerning voice and data requirements?

 

[srmega41]

Not sure what you mean. Do you mean number of drops, types, jacks, or something else. Ususally, the furniture specs are more for the number of cables that can fit in the trays, etc.

I am not aware of anything in the TIA that comes close to addressing cabling WITHIN furniture.

Scott M.

 

[diveman7683]

Need a little more info on what you are asking here. Are you refering to consolidation points, power problems, type of cable??

Cheers

Troy

 

[Snowmonkey]

Yes I meant to be asking about cabling within the furniture, consolidation points, power problems, since electrical power is run in the same plastic access tray but physically separated from the data cables. Any special cable type (Cat5E or Cat6 will be used)

Thanks

 

[oldtimerbob]

Cubicles have been a problem for a long time with just a few mods from certain makers addressing the communications requirements.
If you use normal UTP,un-shielded,You may get de-graded performance (the margin will be lower in most cases)from the power being so close to the data cabling with only a plastic seperator,and you are lucky to get that in most cases,but it should work and pass specs OK.

If you go with shielded cabling,then you will have to use shielded jacks and a patch panel that will allow sheilded cable to be terminated properly. Just using shielded cable by it self will not solve any RFI problems associated with being so close to power.

Good Luck

 

[phuzzy42]

If you're using cubicle furniture similar to Steelcase, you can run your cabling in the top channel to avoid a lot of the power issues, since power runs through the bottom of the panels. Watch out for flourescent under-shelf lighting. The other thing to worry about is bend radius on your cabling.

Steve Harmon
Greenfield, Indiana

 

[aarenot]

If you have long strings of cubes, consider putting in your own power pole/s, to provide a seperate access to the the cubes. This will reduce the length running next to the power. Make sure and label them Data only, I have seen electricians run power down them, since they are there.
Also running the cable down the main wall to the cube, then turning down the shorter walls will put the jacks outside the EMF field generally. The power outlets are most often on the main cube wall. Installing the power pole/s at the end of the cube run will come into the raceway, many times, before encountering any shared path with the power to that point.
It may add some time, amd cost, but let the customer make that decision, then you have covered your self, if there is any issue with interference.
I would not worry much about it, unless the runs are long, and the cube wall is long as well.

You do not always get what you pay for, but you never get what you do not pay for.